MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – With first-years Leland Tsai and Rhys Burgess leading the way in their collegiate debuts, the Amherst College men's golf team finished 12th out of 24 teams to open the season at the Duke Nelson Invitational on the par-71 Myhre Golf Course at Middlebury College.

The Mammoths shot 307 (+23) as a team in Saturday's first round and shaved eight strokes off that score for a team round of 299 (+15) on Sunday to card a two-day team score of 606 (+38) to finish five strokes clear of 13th-place NYU. Babson won the tournament with a score of 577 (+9) while Endicott junior Brady Burke was the individual medalist with a 4-under 138.

The Mammoths are back in action next weekend (Sept. 16-17), taking on Taconic Golf Club at the Williams Invitational in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS:

* Tsai led the Mammoths with a 149 (+7) to finish tied for 25th place, kicking off the weekend with a 2-over 73 on Saturday in his first collegiate round. No other golfer in the tournament scored more pars than the 29 that Tsai carded on the weekend.

* Beginning Sunday's round with a birdie on the 10th hole, fellow first-year Burgess improved his Saturday score by three strokes to post a 3-over 74 on Sunday and finish with a 151 (+9) to tie for 34th place.

* Sophomores Mark Vitels and Paari Kaviyarasu tied for 45th place with scores of 153 (+11). Kaviyarasu sunk five birdies on Sunday to score a 3-over 74 in the second round.

* Senior Tommy Whitley improved by four strokes to score a 5-over 76 on Sunday, finishing the tournament tied for 72nd place with a 156 (+14).